Cloud

Adoption of cloud computing is gaining momentum as organizations realize the benefits that can be gained from this new model for provisioning and consuming information technology resources. Blue River has been at the forefront of cloud computing since its inception, developing services for, and building expertise in, cloud life cycle management – from determining the cloud strategy through deployment, and ongoing managed services. We have also developed a complementary technology portfolio that enables organizations to achieve the required level of data management, application and network performance, protection and security. Blue River IT has been using the Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform for some time now and has created many enterprise configurations. Our business model for many years has been architecting and deploying traditional data centers within the Federal Government space and our understanding of infrastructure design and how it relates to applications, data management/protection, networking, security and operations lends itself very well when deploying environments within AWS.

Advantages of the Cloud

Lower IT Costs

Utilizing cloud-based compute and storage resources in lieu of on-premise resources eliminates the need for capital funding and the long procurement cycle. Operating costs can also be reduced by needing less power, cooling and real estate for additional equipment.

The utility based pricing model means you pay only for what you use. You are not paying for resources that are under-utilized.

Increased Elasticity

The on-demand cloud resources can be scaled up and down as necessary. This eliminates the need to over-provision on-premise resources for the few times that it is needed, and the situation where resources are under-provisioned because of growth. . When additional resources are needed

Reduced Deployment Complexity

Elimination of:

- Contracts and licenses with multiple IT vendors

- Managing platform and configuration conflicts

- Maintaining currency of hardware, software and technical staff

Increased Agility

Increased agility enables IT departments to:

Be more responsive to business requirements.

Start new projects quickly: No lengthy delays and cost associated with procuring the resources

Focus budget and resources: More on supporting the mission / Less on provisioning and managing compute resources

Blue River Cloud Solutions Portfolio

Blue River provides a range of technologies, services and tools for cloud including:

Data Management

Mallard for AWS is the public cloud storage solution where data is replicated to AWS storage for backup and archive, and by provisioning AWS compute resources for applications, provides a disaster recovery solution

Mallard for NetApp and AWS is the private cloud storage solution where data in on-premise NetApp systems is backed up using NetApp Snapshot technology to NetApp systems in a private cloud hosted at a secure, Equinix facility that is located in close proximity to an AWS center. The 2 locations are connected by AWS’ Direct Connect – a high speed connection that minimizes latency between the AWS compute resources in the AWS center and the NetApp storage in the private cloud. This enables a disaster recovery site where applications run on the AWS EC2 compute resources and access the data in the NetApp private cloud. Similarly, this architecture can used as for finite term projects like development and testing, and as a platform for running enterprise applications.

To download the solutions overview for Mallard for NetApp and AWS click here.

Professional & Engineering Services

Blue River has experience and expertise in all aspects of a cloud deployment and provides professional and engineering services for:

Assessment of existing infrastructure

Requirements analysis

Recommendations on cloud architecture

Recommendations on solutions, including cost/benefit analysis

Deployment services which include implementation of AWS cloud infrastructure, integration with the remaining on-premise infrastructure, customization and development as necessary, and training.

Managed Services

Blue River offers several managed services where we will manage resources on our customer’s behalf. This eliminates the need for capex – the on demand, scalable resources are charged based on usage and billed monthly. It reduces dependence on skilled IT personnel allowing organizations to focus on their mission.

Hosts and manages NetApp systems in a secure, private cloud environment that is integrated with the on-premise and AWS data centers

Performance-as-a-Service

Manages network and application performance

Security-as-a-Service

Manages firewalls, identity access and threat Protection

Business Services

To assist with the development of the business agreement with Blue River, we provide counsel to assist with defining payment preferences, terms and conditions, SLAs, and compliances.

Performance Management

Within a cloud environment, applications are running on the cloud provider’s servers which can be further away in terms of distance than when they were housed in the on-premise data center. This can result in performance issues that increase latency and impact user productivity through slow response times. Riverbed provides several solutions that we utilize to speed up delivery and response times and reduce network bandwidth.